Her eyes twitched under the lids as she groaned softly. Her stiff body aching as she adjusted herself under the covers, her face wincing slightly from discomfort and pain. Iris didn't sustain any broken bones from yesterday's incident, but it had left a large bruise on her right side. She applied medicinal balm that her mother made on it, but she doubted it would offer her any comfort throughout the day.
Iris rolled on her left, propped herself up on one elbow and found her younger sister still asleep, curled on her own bed with a slight frown on her face. Junifer was obviously distraught over the selection that was about to take place in two weeks and the thought had been keeping her on edge lately.
Iris had no idea how the sacrificed maidens were chosen, but she doubted that someone like her would be an ideal bride, whether for a human or a darkling. Most women her age were either already married to avoid the selection and had their first child on the way. However, it never bothered her that no young man had sought her hand in marriage.
She swung her legs off the bed as she sat on the edge, taking a moment to clear her thoughts before starting her day. Her hand reaching up to her neck out of habit to touch the ring her father had given her, and its absence startled Iris.
Right, she had lost it yesterday. Retracing her steps, she figured that she might've lost the ring during their chaotic escape from the forest. Iris needed to go back to find it right away.
'Might as well check the snares if they caught something.' She muttered to herself as she pulled on her trousers and dark shirt before tying her hair into a half ponytail and grabbed the foraging pouch she received from Ren two years ago.
When she stepped out of the room she shared with her sister, she found her mother nursing a cup of steaming drink in her hands while staring blankly outside the window across from where she was seated.
"Mother?"
It was only then her mother noticed Iris's presence.
"Where are you going this early, dear? I thought you didn't have to hunt until the weekend."
"I need to check on the snares." Iris didn't want to lie to her mother, but it would surely break her heart if she knew that she had lost the one thing her father had left her.
"I also need to have a word with Luca to confirm whether they are really trying to leave town before the selection." She added, convincing her mother.
Her mother sighed and rubbed her temple. Amongst the three Scarborough siblings, Junifer was the one who had a bad temper and would easily get into a fight.
"You do that, Iris. I'm not sure what's going through your sister's mind to even entertain such an idea."
"She's worried, Mother, especially now that we know Luca has proposed to her. I know Jun would never wish any harm on us because of her. Don't worry too much, Mother. You just recovered from your illness." Iris said before she slipped outside their cabin and was greeted by the sun rays coming as nature's easel, giving brilliant colors to what was hidden even under the passing starlit night.
It wasn't like she wasn't worried about the selection, but there were more pressing matters she would rather think and worry about, such as what she would be putting on their table for the coming days until the winter ends.
Whether they would live or not didn't depend on the selection nor the royal family, who seemed to have forgotten them. If not for the selection, Iris had no doubt that the capital wouldn't spare their town a glance, just as they had done these past years.
Many people from Calaren Town and their neighboring villages barely received any assistance from the capital, leaving them to their own devices.
Iris didn't waste any more time and followed the trail she had taken yesterday. If she was right, then her lost ring would probably have slipped off where the unseen force had sent her and her friends flying midair because of the darklings. She couldn't sense any presence of a darkling ahead and surmised that it would be safe for her to check the ground for her missing ring.
When she reached the third mark, she released a breath that she didn't know she was holding from the moment she stepped into the woods. Iris supposed that she should have asked Amelia to accompany her today, but remembered that Amelia would be busy with her sword training at this time.
Amelia would accompany her and Luca during their hunting trips only because she deemed it as a sort of training to improve her sword skills. Even if the Buchanan family had lost their noble glory and wealth, Amelia's older brother, Jacob, had become a merchant who made a lot of money from trading around Dravial.
The snow was noticeably thinner than yesterday, and Iris inwardly smiled as she realized that the cold winter wouldn't last much longer and spring would soon arrive. However, this didn't mean that she would be able to find her ring easily.
Iris moved deeper into the forest as she continued to follow the path until she reached the fourth mark where she and her friends got hit by the darklings. Her jaws slackened, eyes widened in shock as she looked at the place.
Before her, the ground wasn't covered with thick snow and the trees surrounding it had somewhat died and were left like dry husks. Small bones that she had no doubt were birds and rabbits laid on the ground without a single drop of blood on them.
Iris's mouth went dry and a cold shiver ran down her spine when she realized that she and her friends could end up like this if they were caught by the darklings.
Suddenly, she heard a low growl coming from the clearing…